The invention is directed generally to a photographic processing method wherein an image is formed in an exposed photosensitive film and, more particularly, to such a method which utilizes photographic processing elements comprising a carrier layer and a photographic processing layer containing photographic processing materials.
Generally, it is known in the art to carry out photographic processing of an exposed photosensitive film with photographic processing elements which comprise a carrier layer and a photographic processing layer which contains photographic processing materials. U.S. Pat. No. 2,558,857 to Land teaches bringing a sheet material having a viscous coating comprising a liquid composition including a developer and a silver halide solvent into contact with an exposed photosensitive layer to develop a latent image in the photosensitive layer and thereby form a visible image. A photographic processing method of this type is generally referred to in the art as "dry" since the photographic processing chemicals are included in a layer of the photographic processing element and the photographic processing elements take the place of the photographic processing solution baths utilized in conventional "wet" photographic processing methods.
The prior art also describes materials which may be used in the dry photographic processing techniques. U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,482 to Cronig teaches gelable photoprocessing solutions which comprise a photoprocessing solution and an amount of gel-forming carrageenan or furcellaran sufficient to cause gelation of the solutions. The gelled compositions are taught as being useful to develop, bleach, fix, wash, etc. exposed photographic films. U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,462 to Cronig teaches a photographic processing apparatus which utilizes gelled photographic processing compositions.
Variations of photographic processing using dry photographic processing elements have been described in the art. In one technique a single processing element is brought into contact with the photosensitive film to carry out photographic development. U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,366 to Reiss and Cocco teaches a photographic processing system and method wherein individual dry photographic processing elements are sequentially wrapped onto a single processing spool. One embodiment utilizes a processing spool which houses all the photosensitive processing sections carried on a single carrier layer such as, for example, a first processing section which contains a photographic developer, a second processing section which contains bleaching and fixing chemicals and a third processing section which contains washing and stabilizing chemicals. An exposed photosensitive film, which is housed in a separate cartridge is extracted from the cartridge and the first processing section is brought into contact with the film for a predetermined period of time following which the first processing section is separated from the film and the second processing section is brought into contact with the film for a requisite period of time. Subsequently, the second processing section and the film are separated from each other and the third processing section is brought into contact with the film for a requisite period of time. After the third processing section and the film are separated from each other the photographic processing is complete and a visible image is formed in the film.
While there has been interest in carrying out photographic processing of exposed photosensitive film with dry processing elements, the systems and methods described in the prior art have not been entirely satisfactory insofar as providing the desired results. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for novel and improved systems and methods for forming images in exposed photosensitive films using dry photographic processing materials.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel photographic processing method.
It is another object to provide a photographic processing method wherein an exposed photosensitive film is processed with a plurality of dry photographic processing elements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a photographic processing method wherein an exposed photosensitive film is processed with a plurality of separate dry photographic processing elements.